Carriage for lifting and moving a container

Abstract

For picking up and moving containers with corner castings on platforms, railway wagons or ships, two carriages are locked one to each end face of the container. These carriages have sets of wheels, which are vertically movable therein and allow displacement of the carriages in their longitudinal direction. With the wheels of each set at the same height, the carriages are in the lowest position and can be locked by locks in the corner castings of the container. By moving one wheel of each set of each carriage down, the carriage and, if locked thereto, the container are lifted for displacement. Such wheels can bridge gaps between loading surfaces and differences in height between such surfaces. The carriages may also have wheels with a horizontal axis transverse to the other wheels, to allow movement of the carriages with or without a container transversely to their longitudinal direction.

I claim: 
     
       1. A carriage for lifting and moving a container comprising: an elongated hollow frame extending along a longitudinal axis;   first and second gripping means mounted on said elongated hollow frame and spaced from each other along said longitudinal axis, each of said first and second gripping means having movable engagement means for selectively engaging a container;   first and second carrier means spaced from each other along said longitudinal axis each of said first and second carrier means being pivotably mounted on said elongated hollow frame about an axis transverse to said longitudinal axis;   at least one bearing means mounted on each of said first and second carrier means and pivotable therewith about said transverse axis; and   first and second motor means connected to said first and second carrier means respectively for pivoting said first and second carrier means on said bearing means for lifting said carriage.   
     
     
       2. A carriage according to claim 1 wherein said at least one bearing means includes a pair of rotatable wheels. 
     
     
       3. A carriage according to claim 1 including means for positioning said engagement means between a retracted position and a container engaging position. 
     
     
       4. A carriage according to claim 3 wherein said engagement means is contained within said elongated hollow frame when in said retracted position. 
     
     
       5. A carriage according to claim 3 wherein said engagement means comprises a rotary lock having a non-circular head. 
     
     
       6. A carriage according to claim 5 wherein the means for positioning said engagement means comprises rod means for rotating the non-circular head about an axis along which the engagement means is moved by said means for positioning between the retracted position and the container engaging position. 
     
     
       7. A carriage according to claim 2 further including at least two further wheels rotatably mounted upon an axis perpendicular to said transverse axis, and further includes means for moving said further wheels up and down relative to the hollow frame so as to lift said hollow frame vertically. 
     
     
       8. A carriage for lifting and moving a container comprising: an elongated hollow frame extending along a longitudinal axis;   first and second gripping means mounted on said elongated hollow frame and spaced from each other along said longitudinal axis, each of said first and second gripping means having movable engagement means for selectively engaging a container;   first and second support means, each of said first and second support means having a first portion pivotably connected to said elongated hollow frame about a first axis transverse to said longitudinal axis, a second portion spaced from said first portion along said longitudinal axis and a third portion intermediate said first and second portions;   bearing means mounted on each of said support means at said third portion and pivotable about a second axis transverse to said longitudinal axis;   motor means connected to each said second portion of said support means for pivoting each of said support means about said second transverse axis for lifting said first portion of said support means and correspondingly said elongated hollow frame.